The Portland daily press., 1887-02-16
Ships Half a Century Ago.

glance at the advertising columns of the
Times In 1886 should send thrill of graft
tude to the hearts of the globe trotters of
1886. 1t is like sitting in a snug room over
sea coal fire" and listening to the Deem
Der blasts that are beating against the win
dows. Those who go down to the sea in our
great steamers must face storms that send
the pillows surging abaft the tunnels. and
stand BOOKINGS upon the bosom of the mighty
deep that make them curse their unkindlv
nurse. At all events, nowadays thew know
that, II they must crosg the ocean. they could
hardly be made more comfortable. Possibly
people may have thought the same in 1886.
and we can only admire the benignance of
Providence, which mercifully tempers the
wihd to weather beaten lambs. In 1886
swift sailiiigs" of the best teak built ships
OF 400 and 800 tons, were advertised for Cal
cutta and Bombay. In 1886 there is an an
nouncement of the dispatch of copper bot
toned packet brig of 142 tons register for
Madeira, with excellent accommodation for
passengers. Imagine consumptive inya-
lid taking his passage now for the Islands
OF the BEST in cockleshell of 142 tons
reglster! That sort of craft might be all
very well for the hardy mariners who used
10 grope their way on exploring expeditions
toward the pole through the fogs and ice
noes, nut Tor patient who was apprehen-
slve OF the rupture of blood vessels it was
stalking madly against the imminent chances
OIL sudden death. In 1888 there is glowing
account In the Annual Register of the launch
Of the British Queen. This immense steam
snip IS intended to carry passengers between
hondon ana New York. Her length exceeds
that of NaSSal ha rft ISL
thirty five feet" As for the power, proper
tons and capacity of that Immense YES
sci, her length was 275 feet; she had engines
OF ooe morse power, and che carried 600 tons
OF coal, with 800 tons of cargo. Indeed in
those days, with the delays of long ocean
passages, we can scarcely be said to have
Spanned the abysses dividing us from dis
tant countries and colonies. The wealthy
west lndlan planters seldom visited the old
home more than once or twice in a prosper
GUS lifetime, while civilians or soldiers
scorching in HindOstan took out a three
years furlough after ten years of baking.
Naturally they needed all this time to recruit
liver enlarged like that of any Stragburg
goose. Tom Cringle tells how about sixty
years ago ne boarded one Of the magnificent
west lndlamen, which had been Dlundered
by pirates and subsequently abandoned The
mldshipmen accustomed to the accommoda-
ton of her Majesty's men-of-war. with the
bunkers and lockers of the OderferOus cock
pit, was much impressed with the splendor
of the upholstery and decorations. There
were gold mouldings and plate glass mir
rors, there were thick silken hangings and
sumptuOus carpets. while grand piano
stood open in the saloon. Yet, after ali. that
magnificent ship" which had to weather
half hurricanes and run the risk of lorna
does, did not measure so much as 800 tons.
At that time, when cadets fI0m AddiscOmbe
or young writers from Haileybury secured
their berths long beforehand for Bombay or
the Hooghly, the nautical outfit was mat
ter for grave and costly consideration. The
ielsurely voyage around the Cape would last
for four months at the least.